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{{short description|Religious rituals in Christianity}}{{About|the term "ordinance" as used by some Christians for religious rituals|the term in the canon law of some Christian faiths|Ordinance (canon law)}}{{Eucharist|expanded=Theology}}An ordinance is a term used by certain Christian denominations for a religious ritual that was instituted by Jesus for Christians to observe.BOOK, Krahn, Cornelius, Rempel, John D., Ordinances, 1989, Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia,weblink The term "ordinance" emphasizes the aspect of institution by Christ and the symbolic meaning., Examples of ordinances include baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of which are practiced in denominations including the Anabaptist, Baptist, Churches of Christ, and Pentecostal denominations.BOOK, Engle, Paul E., Armstrong, John H., Understanding Four Views on Baptism, 30 August 2009, Zondervan, en, 9780310866985, 60, John Calvin and most other Protestant leaders rejected the Roman Catholic sacramental system but retained its vocabulary, applying the term “sacrament” only to ordinances instituted by God himself (cf. Westminster Confession of Faith 27; Belgic Confession 33). ... Unlike Baptists and Anabaptists, who tend to speak of baptism only as an "ordinance," Calvinists have characteristically spoken of baptism not only as an ordinance but also as a sacrament or a mystery, a rite through which God applies grace., BOOK,weblink Holman Bible Dictionary, Howe, Claude, Broadman & Holman, 1991, Christians agree universally that baptism and the Lord's Supper were instituted by Christ and should be observed as “ordinances” or “sacraments” by His followers., Some churches, including those of the Anabaptists, include headcovering and footwashing as ordinances.BOOK,weblink The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology, Olson, Roger, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, 0664224644, 259, William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 219 Chris Green, Pentecostal Ecclesiology: A Reader, BRILL, Leiden, 2016, p. 176The number of ordinances depends on the Christian denomination, with Mennonite Anabaptists counting seven ordinances,BOOK, Hartzler, Rachel Nafziger, No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church, 30 April 2013, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 978-1-62189-635-7, English, while some Baptists may name two or three.

Distinctions

Christian traditions, including Anabaptists (such as Mennonites and Schwarzenau Brethren), Baptists, Churches of Christ, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, refer to "ordinances", rather than "sacraments".WEB,weblink Third Way Café: Sacraments/ordinances, 2010-09-27,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140201220652weblink">weblink 2014-02-01, dead, BOOK, Durnbaugh, Donald F., The Brethren Encyclopedia, 1983, Brethren Encyclopedia, Incorporated, 978-0-936693-04-0, 61, English, While a sacrament is seen as a means of grace from God, an ordinance is a practice that rather demonstrates the participants' faith. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many historic Protestant traditions (Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Moravians, Continental Reformed, Presbyterians and Congregationalists) prefer the use of the term "sacrament".

Anabaptism

For Anabaptists, "ordinances brought one into conformity with the truth of Jesus Christ, whose life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection had so fundamentally altered all of humanity and creation that human beings were now capable of works of loving obedience that revealed the indwelling presence of God in Christ in all people."BOOK, Volf, Miroslav, Volf, Dorothy C., Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life, 26 October 2001, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 978-0-8028-4931-1, 139, English, Seven ordinances have been taught in many Conservative Mennonite churches, which include "baptism, communion, footwashing, marriage, anointing with oil, the holy kiss, and the prayer covering."BOOK, Hartzler, Rachel Nafziger, No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church, 30 April 2013, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 978-1-62189-635-7, English, The Dunkard Brethren Church, a Conservative Anabaptist denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, includes baptism, feetwashing, communion, the holy kiss, headcovering, and anointing of the sick among the ordinances of the Church. Feetwashing, communion and the holy kiss occur during the lovefeast.BOOK, Dunkard Brethren Church Polity, 1 November 2021, Dunkard Brethren Church, 6, English,

Baptists

Some Baptists teach two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, while others include additional ordinances, such as "the laying on of hands after baptism" as expressed in the Standard Confession (1660).BOOK, Cross, Anthony R., Thompson, Philip E., Baptist Sacramentalism, Volume 3, 28 September 2020, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 978-1-7252-8608-5, 35, en, WEB, Pinson, Jr, Wm M., Baptists' Two Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper,weblink Baptist Distinctives, English, 9 February 2012,

Mormonism

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) uses the term "ordinance", however the underlying belief is sacramental.weblinkweblink Rituals such as baptism, confirmation, initiatory (Chrismation)(Washing and anointing|[see: washing and anointing)], ordination, endowment (formal vows and reception of sacred vestments)weblink and marriage are referred to as "saving ordinances"weblink, as they are considered transformative and necessary for salvation and exaltation. Similar to Catholic sacraments, Mormon ordinances are only considered valid if performed by ordained clergy with apostolic succession reaching back to Jesus through Peter.weblinkweblinkweblinkweblink

Pentecostalism

The Calvary Holiness Association, a Holiness Pentecostal denomination, affirms the ordinances of baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the washing of the Saint's feet.WEB, Articles of Faith,weblink Riverside Holiness Church, 10 May 2024, en, 2022, Certain Pentecostal denominations, such as the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church and the Christian Congregation, among others, observe the ordinance of women's headcovering in obedience to {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:4-13|NRSV}}.BOOK, Bendroth, Margaret Lamberts, Brereton, Virginia Lieson, Women and Twentieth-century Protestantism, 2002, University of Illinois Press, 978-0-252-06998-7, 29, en,

See also

• Born again
• Worship service (evangelicalism)
• Infused righteousness
• Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)
• Sola gratia

References

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